Laptops are becoming the ultimate multimedia hubs for organizing and storing your photos, music, movies, and home videos. You can even watch and record live television. Part of the magic is done mainly through Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 (MCE), which is now becoming the standard OS included on many desktop replacement notebooks.

When shopping for a Media Center laptop, several elements should factor into your buying decision. First, choose one with a bright and high-contrast screen, preferably a transreflective type or a glossy screen. Companies have proprietary names for this screen technology. Sony has XBrite, as seen on the Sony VAIO VGN-AX570G and HP has BrightView, as seen on the HP Pavilion dv5000z. Screen size should be wide, and either 15.4 or 17 inches. Your video and photo files tend to fill up your hard drive very quickly, so get a notebook with plenty of storage space. We recommend a 100GB hard drive and up.

The laptop also needs to be powerful enough to multitask and run several applications simultaneously without slowing down. When you're recording your favorite television show, and you want to crunch some numbers, run a virus scan, or search a Web site, you don't want your system coming to a crashing halt. The new Dual Core processors, like the Intel Core Duo found in the Dell Inspiron E1705, greatly eases the strain.

Laptops with integrated TV tuners, which let you record and watch your favorite shows, are ideal for space conservation, but they tend to cost more than $2,000. However, if you're willing to make the investment, one of our favorite laptops with a built-in TV tuner is the Toshiba Qosmio G25-AV513. Other alternatives include USB attached and ExpressCard TV tuners, which also work very well. These tend to add bulk and decrease visual appeal. One example here is the Dell Inspiron E1705. Regardless of what you choose, going with a vendor supplied TV tuner minimizes the grief of tinkering with drivers and getting television onto your notebook.

Media Center laptops are becoming more affordable by the day. You can purchase the HP Pavilion dv5000z with an ExpressCard Tuner for under $1,700 or go with our choice, the luxurious Toshiba Qosmio G25-AV513. Below is a list of several other MCE laptops worth considering, and for a quick glance at all these laptops, be sure to check out our side-by-side Media Center Laptop Comparison Table.

In This Review:

Sony VAIO VGN-AX570G
The Sony VAIO VGN-AX570G is powerhouse notebook that comes with an integrated TV tuner and a fabulous 17-inch Xbrite screen.

HP Pavilion dv5000z
This MCE notebook won't break the bank. It has a gorgeous 15.4 inch BrightView screen, and it comes with the optional ExpressCard TV tuner.

Toshiba Qosmio G25-AV513
The Toshiba Qosmio G25-AV513 is the best MCE laptop we've seen, especially when it comes to integrating AV features. No other system comes close.

Dell Inspiron E1705
It's loaded with Intel Core Duo components and you'll get great performance with this Media Center notebook. You'll have to purchase the optional USB TV Tuner.

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